davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
japanese Children.

The children are a great feature Of
japanese life. They swarm everywhere;
the houses are full of them; the streets
overflow with them They seem a bless
ing vouchsafed in a peculiar degree to
the japanese Little tots hardly able
to walk themselves carry, fastened TO
their backs, tiny infants, for whose
heads | often trembled, as they are al
lowed to hang down in such fashion
as to seem on the point Of breaking off
any minute The rising generation of
Japan seems to delight in mere exist
ence; these tiny atoms of humanity
sport in the sunshine, as a rule
most scantily clad, roll over in the dust
run and skip, all overlooking with the
jolliest mirth. Their parents seem to
idoEze them; nowhere have | seen 50
many men occupying themselves with
children as I did in Japan. The whole
character of the people is child like
especially in the interior, where they
have had no chance to be infected by
the superior knowledge of their western
brethren.
In the villages men can be seen carrying
in their arms babes, leading one or two at
the same time. The smallest hamlet
has shops where nothing else is
sold but toys, and these luxu-
ries are lavished on every japanese
baby The children are, as a rule,
pleasant to look upon, with their little
round and plump faces and short hair
which on boys heads is allowed to grow
all around the head shorn to about two
or three inches in length, with a round
spot in the centre on the top of the
crown shaved bare. The dolls that
come to our toy stores from Japan are
faithful images of their children. Fly
ing paper dragons is one of their favor
lte games, and the skill expended on the
ornamentation of these is astonishing.
A peculiar custom is the hosting of an
immense paper fish, painted claborately,
on pole in front Of a house where a
baby is born. - The Overland Monthly.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
inns In the Orient

South OF the Balkan Mountains, SAWS
Thomas Stevens in the New York SIN.
the traveller bids farewell 10 hotels for
the time being, except At such point, as
Constantinople or Philippopois. Tie
mchana Of the Orient. with all it dis
comforts and denominations. takes the
place Of the European village inn. oue
now finds himself among people who
know nothing OF Western comfort. At
the wayside mehana the accommodate
tions are OF the ruae>t kind. Instead
OF a soft bed the Traveller may consider
himself fortunate If he can obtain tat
tered quilt or blanket in which to curl
himself up on the. floor, or on j bench.
He may consider himself more fortunate
still il these casual articles are reason
ably free from vermin. All of them are
tenanted more or less, and extraordinary
precautions must lie taken for
self protection. The food obtain
able al the mehana J. equally
abominable Black bread. some
times so hard that it has 10 bs
soaked in water before it can bs eaten,
a jar of malodorous substance supposed
to be soft cheese, and viIlainous spirits
called mastic is the regular stock in
trade of the mehan2 cuisine. If the
fates are propasous, one may perchance
| be able to obtain an egg or two, or
chicken, and small cups Of strong black
| coffee are usually TO be had also. The
| proprietor, greasy, sheepsk skiu-clad in
diyidual, will undertake TO cook the
eggs or chicken ii requested. If left
to follow his own devices. he will boil
the eggs hard and cut the chicken up in
little pieces and stew 1t. The seasoning
will be u small chunk of rock salt
After crossing the Bosporus into Asi-
attic Turkey, there is change of name
| from mehana to khan. but there is little
or no change in the institution itself
| The khan exists only along the regular
| post routes. In the remote villages one
| has to depend entirely on the hospitality
of the people. To the credit of the
Turks, let it be said that no matter what
their shortcomings may he in other di-
rections, they are always hospitable.
The Refs, or head man OF the village, is
always ready to do the honors of th.
occasion upon the arrival Of a traveller
In his rude house, often but a mere mud
hut, with stable and dwelling rooms all
beneath the same low fat roof, the
stranger is sure of shelter and the best
food the village affords No payment
is exacted for this, but the proper thing
is to make presents of money to the
REFS. children in return for what one
| has received
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
Gambling in CALIFORNIA; Early Days.

There was a French woman who
played the violin, receiving 800 day
therefor; and as women were so scarce
in those days, whenever she left the
saloon to 60 out on the street every
saloon around the square was cmpticd
to get a look at her. In these saloons
there were piles of gold, both in coin
and in sacks of gold dust, that would
put some of our commercial banks of the
present day to the blush, and long tables
that had their croupiers ready to rake
in or pay out as fast as the cards were
turned off
Among other noted players was a
Judge at that time, who made it point
every evening to go around from place
to place and make high play. Upon en-
tering with his attendant, who carried
the sack. he would first sit down at q
table and bar off every other player;
then set his time Of play at a limit SAY
twenty minutes OF half an hour the
stake from $40, 900 to $40, GOO, with the
bank, Meantime, to keep the crowd
that would be in at the time, which
would number from 300 up to near 1000,
he always asked them all to take Il drink,
which meant p cents head for the bar; a.;
and if he won he paid for the drin ks; if
he )st, the bank had them to pay foT.
--TOvcrland Monthly.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
What is Friendship :"

I've been reading, oh friendl whose earnest
eyes
Would search my spirit through,
The tale Of a dreamer who we'll eplie
To the question asked by you.
And ponder it we'll; for the fable
A subtle meaning bears,
To guide through hfes temptations
And show thee its hidden snares.
Where the polar star looks coldly down
ON the land Of the eternal SHOWS,
Meath the glttering icebergs cea&cless
frown
The "Esperto Sancto' grows,
Each leaf Of exquisite beauty
BY ice kings gems embossed;
Each leaf, and branch, and petal
Are formed of glistcning frost.
Mid the dazzling stiffness OF Arctic day
A phantom flower it CLEANS
In the paIHd ~umiights frozen rays,
Like a symbol of death and dreams
Shoulda shadow fall DER its VIII,
Or the snbconls warmer grow
It folds H. ti.nv petals
And >s,ui~h,~ into the SNOW.
>n1 one u.ao would pluck this enchanted
flower,
OR gan ou its beauty frail,
Must have hands as clean and heart is pure
As the Knight Of the Holy Grail.
Do YOU see, on friend, the meaning
OF this fable I've told to you:
That he who would hope for friendship
Must himself, be pure and true.
ris flower that will droop meath passions
glow.
In darkness it fades away,
For the blossom of friendship will only grow
In the calm, fair light of day,
Let your life be free and noble,
As your heart is leaI and true,
And the exquisite flower of friendship
VIII always bloom for you.
t EDNA c. JACKSON.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23

Celery, says a New York restaurant
keeper, requires the carefuIest kind Of
careful cultivation. 1t mas to be planted
and transplauted, and then kept heaped
up with dirt The soil must be rich aad
we'll drainei. In Europe it grows wils
in the bitches, and in its native state is
rank, coarse, disagreeable in taste, and
even very poisonouS II has taken a
long cultivation to civili1e celery, and
make il The gentle, delicate thing We
know.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
KEEP YOUR PROMISE" :"

Commodore Vanderbilt, as most peo-
pie know. did not take very kindly to
removing from Staten Island to New
York City, when his affairs began to
prosper but was compelled to do so in
order to be near his business. He bought
house lust in the outskirts of the city
where he thought he could be sure of
comparative quiet. lie found a com
Portable place close by a graveyard,
with not many houses about him and
settled down.
The first night he spent in the new
place was a terrible revelation to him.
Instead of the absolutely quiet surround
;ncs Of his island homt, he had al at
ulospherc vocal with the ye lis of what
seemed thousand cats The neighbor-
hood must have been, he was convinced,
r favorite resort for all the cats in the
city, They rcudczvouscd in the grave
yard, aad tIocHcd on LIs back fence,
and perched on his shed roof and cater
waules1 mad]y all night Ions He slept
scarcely five minutes NJ a time The
next night it was repeated an l the next
Insteadof getting used to it the com
snodore was getting more and more ncr-
vous and slept less and less. The wear
and tear began to tell on him.
Vanderbilt had his boot, backed
every 1n0rninn hv - lad who had STA
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
George Was Hopeful.

You understand, George, OF course, -"
she said, as she nestled in his arms,
'that | shall have no money Of my own
until papa passes away
Il understand, dear" replied George,
tenderly and hopefully, ''but just
think, love, how feeble your father is.
i Epoch,
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
A Mild Hint.

They had been sitting in contempla-
tive silence for a long time, when Will
liam musingly said II think, Naomi
that there is great deal of wisdom in
that old saying: Silence is golden "
There may be, but gold is unhandy,
| would rather have a bill
1t took him an hour to "catch on, -
but he finally offered himself - Lincoln
JOurnal
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23

Hoe fabulp decent that venerable
men of wealth had best keep their hon
est engagements with small boys, even
if the small boys turn out to be much
smarter than the venerable gentlemen
took them to be, and greatly exceed ex.
pectations in their performances. - Bos
ton Transcript.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23

into the barrel with its squirming mass
of rats.
"Well, then, here goes = said the boy.
With lively kick of his foot he up
set the barrel in the direction Of his
grandfather The multitude of rats
poured out around the old mans feet.
He leaped wildly up and down in terror,
and sprang through the mass to ladder
that stoo near. Then he ran up the
ladder with an agility that he had not
equaIled for fifty years And the rats
resumed possession Of the premises.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
Inkind.

Young Sampson, who thinks he can
play the cornet, is serenading his girl
when the old gentleman interrupts him
with.
Here, youl We don't want fish at
this hour of night. - Philadelphia News
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
Fishing for Il Cows Cud.

''Ihere is great excitement ON the
place when a COW loses her cud " said the
old farmer. The boys run as fast as
they can for the COW doctor, and we all
turn to and get things ready for him
The COW stands with her head down and
neck stretched out, and is altogether the
most w0e-begone animal You ever saw. -
"What will happen if she doe.n't fud
the cud?"
She will starvo to death. You see
COW has four stomach<. and what she
eats through the day goes into the first
one. And at night she brings up some
Of the food from the first stomach aud
masticates it. This is called chewing
the cld After she has done tins, it
goes to the second stomach and is di-
gested. II she loses her clld. lie can't
pass the food from the first stomach o
the second, and j. bound f. ~tarv,.
When the doctor arrives H. >I3p~ the
cows sides, twists her tail and looks in
her mouth Then he calls for piece of
salt goldfish and puts it in her mouth.
If that fails to bring the cud he ruh> hcr
throat and calls for slippery c.m He
<uts a wad Of it into her Jaws and tries
TO get her to chew That failing, he
tries Il bunch of grass and wad Of will
low leaves. II all fail live frog is
i,nn.rb+ and Starta1 down ,I,. ,..u,'s =
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
lars each all around, y" said the commo-

larS each All d!o'u11 s"4N tue CounO~
dorc.
He pulled out the money and shook
it in their faces, but the boys refused to
take it. Finally they withdrew in 81
lence. leaving the commodore, aroused
and ill-natured, with his cats. They
formed a resolve to r'get even with
him." and made their plans accord
ingly.
That night the commodore had not
been asleep very long before he was
reused by the most uncarthly caterwaul-
ing that he had ever heard in his life
He woke with the impression that there
was a stack of cats on the foot of his
bed. Then he fancied they were at
Vast on the window sill of his
.som. But presently he became aware
that they were somewhere in the yard
near his window. He could stand it no
longer, and seized loaded pistol that
n a bureau drawer and blazed away
one, two, three shots. at what seemed to
be the centre Of the disturbance in the
yard. Then he heard cry and groan
Of anguish from some human being. He
dressed partially and went out into the
yard, and found there, writhing in pain,
the Policeman on the beat, with ball
from tb commodore's revolver in his
leg. He also found large gunny bag
in which was a wrigging, plunging
mass of cats, all of them howliug now
with fury rcdoubled by the episode of
the shooting, The policeman was able
to explain that he had seen what seemed
to be a wild animal of extraordinary
proportions. which made a noise like a
hundred cats, plunging around on the
commodorc's lawn, and had come over
to investigate: and no sooner had he dis
covered that the object was a big gunny-
bag full Of cats, and had prepared to
release the animals, than the commo
dore had opened fire on HIM from the
window. with disastrous effect
The policeman sued Vanderbilt for
damages. and the commodore had to pay
him a thousand dollars to settle-a fact
which became quite generally known.
As to the cats, he knew where they
came from, but the peculiar and unfn
ished nature Of the tran saction with the
boys prevented him from mentioning it,
or from breaking his former contract
with the bootblack, who contin-
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23

This story recalls another that is
somewhat like it with a different flavor
and local color, however, and quite as
authentic, 1t happened down on the
Cape in time now we'll gone by, when
Benjamin c was a prominent man
down there wealthy, and foremost in a
good many business enterprises. Old
Mr.. c. was thrifty, like most of the
Cape people with high regard for the
almighty dollar. He had lively,
freckle-faced grandson, as agile as a
squirrel, who was named for him, Ben
iamin c. d, since a man Of Il good
deal of prominence on his own account,
and who lived with him. The old gen
tleman's barn, as a good many other old
places have done, became terribly in
tested with rats. The old gentleman
was so greatly annoyed that he offered
the boy fifty cents apiece Tor all the rats
he would catch and show to him, alive
on the premises, a prccaution to prevent
sharp practice on the part Of the youth.
After two or three days httIe Benjamin
came TO old Bca iamin and asked him to
step out into the barn He did so and
was conducted to big disused molasses
barrel that stood in the middle of the
barn floor and asked to look into it.
And there on the bottom, was wri@ging
mass of rats, three or four. deep, strug-
Cling vainly to get out OF the barrel,
My CORY" exclaimed the old gen
tleman. ''Whcre'd YOU get all these
rats!'
Caught 'em here in the barn, gram
sir
How many he thcy@'
Eighty, That's just $40, gran n'sir. -
-"Forty dollars Why, amt goin' to
pay you all that money"
"Ain't you2 did Mt YOU agree to,
gran'sir?"
"Well yes, but . hadn't no idee
when l did that you'd catch such tar
nation lot
The boy looked up There was rope
dangling down from the beam above,
that was used TO help, in climbing up to
the hayloft Benny pulled himself up
hand over hand on this rope until he
hung suspended over the barrel
Amt you goin' to give me that $40
YOU agreed to gran sir: said the boy.
Never p said the old man, looking
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23

With all thy false love the still,
quoted the husband as he str0ked hi
wife's store hair
The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-02
klnr KnInknnn,s klnrdom.

From MIR. f. $. Poole, Of 81. Louis,
who has for many years been engaged in
raising rice in the Sandwich Islands, l
got glimpse yesterday of King Kala-
kaua and his kingdom. Everybody viii
remember the stir that was made when
the Sandwich Island monarch Travelled
through this country several years ago.
King "Calico Awas on every tongue.
Mr. Poole toldsne that King Kalakaua,
although once very wealthy, has been so
open handed md prodigal that he has
little money left He has been reigning
Tor fourteen OF fifteen years, and while a
man Of some ability he has not been able
% hold his position except by the con
slant expenditure of money. They have
elections on the islands, compared with
which those in the United States are
tame The islanders are natural orators
and will discuss the issues of the day by
the hour from any point OF vantage,
whether the head Of a sugar barrel, a
table or a door step. They move largely
on the impulse Of the moment and can
be- swaycd under excitement for any
side. The king Tom is divided between
the "insn and outs that is the Ad-
ministratiuu and the anti Administra-
ton factions With the exception Of
the treaty with tho United States, the
Sandwich Islands have aprotectiye tariff
of ten per cent. against all countries
A10 lOrk IriiuHe.
The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-02
TO MY WIFE

Why need you care, dear wife, or heed
; The passing OF your early gracel
What though the lilies supersede
The springtime roses Of your facet
What though the azure Of your eyes
Has mellowed TO softer bluel
The fairest tintS that deck the skies
Are caught from twilight's fading hus.
Why should the ripened fruit regret
Its summer bloom, howeer so fairl
Why need you sigh, though Time should set
His crown of silver on your hairl
The sweetest fragrance of the rose
Is from its fading petals pressed,
And Nature spreads her earliest SHOWS
Above the flowers she loves the best
What care we for the vanished years,
Save for the fruit their summers brought
What care we for our fallen tears
Save for the rainbows on them wrought;
Why should we mourn the joys we shared,
Or see them perish with regret,
Since on the fruit our hearts have Jared,
And memory keeps the rainbows yetl
What though our winter time has come,
Aud summers buds and blooms expires
Love hath an ever radiant home, A
And bids us welcome to its fire
He dwelt with us through all the spring;
We sheltered him from summers heat;
Now at his hearth wen sit and sing,
And let the wintry tempest beat.
Lee o. Harris
The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-02
HUMOR OF THE DAY.

Fine language dollars and costs.
The time when the cold water party
largely predominated- During the flood.
Call.
If every man was as big as he feels
there couldn't be standing room in this
country. -Nepn,aB Independent.
A man is like razor because you can't
tell how sharp he can be until he is com
pletely strapped. -DansOate Breeze.
The greatest reformer of the age was
the inventor of the hustle, which has
reformed nearly every woman.-Phila
delphia Herald.
An exchange Observes: "We owe
much to foreigners from which we
infer that the editor has not paid his
hired girl. .--NeO Harea Ne,cs.
The epidemic of pugilism is calculated
to make the weary newspaper reader wish
that even the baseball season might come
again. --PaLadetphia Times.
A writer says that "kind words are
never lost" How is it when your wife
puts them in letter and gives them to
you to mail9-BurLingtOn Free Press.
The question of the hour may hold
Much mad contention in it,
But is reduced, when all is told
To moment and TO minute.
-Sifiings.
A Maine minister was recently treed
by bear and kept there for an hour.
He says he will never preach long SER
mon again in his life. burlington Free
Press.
Why Chawley," drawled Gus de Flip
kins TO his chum, G. Percy Giddibraine,
"where's your watch" ''Oh, l couldn't
stand it, " he replied, "the beastly tick
ing shattered my nerves lid Bits.
Mrs. Bigsby-My husband Just detests
cabbage. Why do you suppose he is so
preudiced against IL! Mrs. Blobson-I
imagine he takes too much of it in his
cigars, my dear. B4rtiagton free Press.
Doctor -"What ails you, sirl" Patient
IL don't know, doctor; | have such
buzzing sound in my ears all the time.
Would you like 10 look at my tonguel"
Doctor-"No, never mind; bring your
wife around some day; I'D like to look
at hers. Statesman.
would you say the poultry is very
tender OF the fowl is very tenderl' asked
the boarding house mistress of one of her
victims the other day at dinner.
"Neither," was the reply, "What,
then, would you sayn 'Td say the
chilk ken IS mighty fought" came from
the boarder with emphasis. Statesman.
The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-02
A Fair Report.

The following report of the financial
standing of n gentleman, furnished a
friend by Abraham Lincoln, is probably
more reliable, says YOuthS CompaRioH,
than many of the reports furnished to-
day by some commercial agencies. His
estimate of the value of the wife and
baby will strike the ordinary father as
being very fair
"N ours of the 10th instant received. / am
well acquainted with Mr.. -, and know his
circumstances First of all, he has a wife
aud baby Together they ought TO be worth
nfty thousand dollars 10 any man. Secondly,
he has an Office in which there is a table
worth one dollar and fifty cents, and three
chairs worth. saw one dollar Last of all,
there is in one corner a large rat-hole, which
will bear looking into.
Respectfully yours, A. LINCOLN.
The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-02

he New York Commercial AdVsrtiser
aerks editorially; "The industry of
sing sea island cotton along the At
IIc coast which began with favorable
epects few years ago, has turned out
+ be nearly, if not quite, a failure on
scount of low prices. The fibre of
his kind of cotton is much longer than
That of the ordinary staple. In the
meantime the price of the products
from it has remaiued sta
fionary or has been raised, so that the
loss falls wholly on the planters, and
Ehere is danger of the industry dying
out. Such an outcome would be Sc
1iously felt in this city, which receives
the bulk of sea island cotton shipped
from southern ports"
The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-02

! How great and varied are the resources
of some of our railroad corporations may
be Judged from the statement that a
Western company has completed ar
rangements to establish weather service
over its entire system similar to that in
use by the Federal Government. Trains
will be equipped and operated according
to the weather reports, which are to lie
made from stations along the line to the
headquarters of the road. These re-
ports, it is expected, will aid materially
in the safe shipment of live stock and
perishable goods.
The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-02


The products of Florida Industries,
with population of 365, 900, amount in
value to little over SAL, 900, 900. Here
Is .a~iist of the products of her indus
tries; Vanilla, poultry, peaches, COW
peas, honey, swine, sheep, alligator
nides and teeth, strawberries, nursery
trees, bricks and artificial stone, moss,
beef, cotton seed, sponges, oysters, fish,
turtle, cigars, vegetables, corn, wheat,
2sts, tobacco, hay, fodder, hides, milk,
|Nutter, lines, lemons, pineapples, pin
Cars, grapes, oranges, arrowroot, wine,
Aorses, mules, cattle, wagons, plows,
spgar, molasses, ice, lumber, cotton,
seaar, naval stores, etc. So says the
fida Dispdtch.